Postretirement benefits

Chubb provides postretirement benefits to eligible employees and their dependents through various defined benefit pension plans, other postretirement benefit plans, and defined contribution plans sponsored by Chubb.

Defined benefit pension plans

We maintain non-contributory defined benefit pension plans that cover certain employees located in the U.S., U.K., Canada, and various other statutorily required countries. We account for pension benefits using the accrual method. Benefits under these plans are based on employees' years of service and compensation during final years of service. All underlying plans are subject to periodic actuarial valuations by qualified actuarial firms using actuarial models to calculate the expense and liability for each plan. We use December 31 as the measurement date for our defined benefit pension plans.

Under the Chubb Corp plans, prior to 2001, benefits were generally based on an employee’s years of service and average compensation during the last five years of employment. Effective January 1, 2001, the formula for providing pension benefits was changed from the final average pay formula to a cash balance formula. Under the cash balance formula, a notional account is established for each employee, which is credited semi-annually with an amount equal to a percentage of eligible compensation based on age and years of service plus interest based on the account balance. Chubb Corp employees hired prior to 2001 will generally be eligible to receive vested benefits based on the higher of the final average pay or cash balance formulas.

Other postretirement benefit plans

Our assumption of Chubb Corp's other postretirement benefit plans, principally healthcare and life insurance, covers retired employees, their beneficiaries, and covered dependents. Healthcare coverage is contributory. Retiree contributions vary based upon the retiree’s age, type of coverage, and years of service requirements. Life insurance coverage is non-contributory. Chubb funds a portion of the healthcare benefits obligation where such funding can be accomplished on a tax-effective basis. Benefits are paid as covered expenses are incurred.

Amendments to U.S. Qualified and Excess Pension Plans and U.S. Retiree Healthcare Plan

On October 31, 2016, we harmonized and amended several of our U.S. retirement programs to create a unified retirement savings program. In 2020, we will transition from a traditional defined benefit pension program that had been in effect for certain employees to a defined contribution program. Additionally, after 2025, we plan to eliminate a subsidized U.S. retiree healthcare and life insurance plan that had been in place for certain employees. Both amendments required a remeasurement of the plan assets and benefit obligations with updated assumptions, including discount rates and the expected return on assets.

The plan amendments and related remeasurement of the obligation at October 31, 2016 resulted in a net decrease to the benefit obligations of $496 million as follows:


•	The amendment of the pension plan and excess pension plan resulted in a pre-tax curtailment gain of $113 million immediately recognized in income during the fourth quarter of 2016 as it reduced expected years of future service of active plan participants.

•

The amendment of the retiree healthcare plan resulted in a reduction in the obligation of $383 million, of which $410 million will be amortized as a reduction to expense through 2021 as it relates to benefits already accrued. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, $80 million, $89 million, and $15 million, respectively, were amortized as a reduction to expense. Additionally, during 2017, the number of involuntary departures due to the Chubb integration met our established threshold for recognition in income. As a result, for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, we recognized $3 million and $39 million, respectively, of accelerated amortization. At December 31, 2018, the remaining curtailment benefit balance was $184 million which will be amortized as a reduction to expense over the next 2.5 years.

Obligations and funded status

The funded status of the pension and other postretirement benefit plans as well as the amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income at December 31, 2018 and 2017 was as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans												Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	2018						2017						2018			2017
	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
Benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	3,285		$	1,077		$	3,035		$	1,025		$	137		$	165
Service cost	57			12			63			17			1			2
Interest cost	105			27			105			27			3			4
Actuarial loss (gain)	(214		)	(71		)	232			(4		)	(20		)	(2		)
Benefits paid	(108		)	(26		)	(132		)	(28		)	(15		)	(14		)
Amendments	—			4			—			—			—			(23		)
Curtailments	—			—			—			(32		)	—			2
Settlements	(33		)	(27		)	(18		)	(8		)	—			—
Foreign currency revaluation and other	—			(54		)	—			80			7			3
Benefit obligation, end of year	$	3,092		$	942		$	3,285		$	1,077		$	113		$	137
Plan assets at fair value, beginning of year	$	3,109		$	1,172		$	2,765		$	962		$	157		$	159
Actual return on plan assets	(218		)	(63		)	441			100			1			6
Employer contributions	34			14			53			63			—			6
Benefits paid	(108		)	(26		)	(132		)	(28		)	(15		)	(14		)
Settlements	(33		)	(27		)	(18		)	(8		)	—			—
Foreign currency revaluation and other	—			(62		)	—			83			—			—
Plan assets at fair value, end of year	$	2,784		$	1,008		$	3,109		$	1,172		$	143		$	157
Funded status at end of year	$	(308	)	$	66		$	(176	)	$	95		$	30		$	20
Amounts recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive income, not yet recognized in net periodic cost (benefit):
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	(15	)	$	112		$	(227	)	$	82		$	—		$	12
Prior service cost (benefit)	—			9			—			6			(200		)	(288		)
Total	$	(15	)	$	121		$	(227	)	$	88		$	(200	)	$	(276	)

For the U.S. pension plans, the $214 million actuarial gain experienced in 2018 was principally driven by the increase in the discount rate from 2017 that was used to determine the projected benefit obligation at December 31, 2018. The $232 million actuarial loss experienced in 2017 was largely driven by the decrease in the discount rate from 2016 that was used to determine the projected benefit obligation at December 31, 2017.

The accumulated benefit obligation for the pension benefit plans was $4.0 billion and $4.3 billion at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The accumulated benefit obligation is the present value of pension benefits earned as of the measurement date based on employee service and compensation prior to that date. It differs from the pension (projected) benefit obligation in the table above in that the accumulated benefit obligation includes no assumptions regarding future compensation levels.

The net components of the funded status of the pension and other postretirement benefit plans are included in Accounts payable, accrued expenses, and other liabilities in the Consolidated balance sheets.

Chubb’s funding policy is to contribute amounts that meet regulatory requirements plus additional amounts determined based on actuarial valuations, market conditions and other factors. All benefit plans satisfy minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA).

The following table provides information on pension plans where the benefit obligation is in excess of plan assets at December 31, 2018 and 2017:



	2018						2017
	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans			U.S. Plans			Non-U.S. Plans
Plans with projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
Projected benefit obligation	$	3,092		$	222		$	3,285		$	216
Fair value of plan assets	2,784			170			3,109			166
Net funded status	$	(308	)	$	(52	)	$	(176	)	$	(50	)
Plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets:
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	3,066		$	115		$	3,223		$	152
Fair value of plan assets	$	2,784		$	86		$	3,109		$	123

For other postretirement benefit plans with an accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets, the accumulated benefit obligation was $23 million and $21 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. These plans have no plan assets.

At December 31, 2018, we estimate that we will contribute $22 million to the pension plans and $1 million to the other postretirement benefits plan in 2019. The estimate is subject to change due to contribution decisions that are affected by various factors including our liquidity, market performance and management discretion.

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the projected benefit obligation were as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
December 31, 2018
Discount rate	4.20	%	3.10	%	3.78	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.37	%	N/A
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%
December 31, 2017
Discount rate	3.59	%	2.76	%	2.77	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.46	%	N/A
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%

The projected benefit cash flows were discounted using the corresponding spot rates derived from a yield curve, which resulted in a single discount rate that would produce the same liability at the respective measurement dates. The same process was applied to service cost cash flows to determine the discount rate associated with the service cost. In general, the discount rates for the non-U.S. plans were developed using a similar methodology by using country-specific yield curves.

The components of net pension and other postretirement benefit costs reflected in Net income and other changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income were as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans																		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans									Non-U.S. Plans									Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31	2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016
Costs reflected in Net income:
Service cost	$	57		$	63		$	75		$	12		$	17		$	18		$	1		$	2		$	10
Non-service cost:
Interest cost	105			105			103			27			27			30			3			4			17
Expected return on plan assets	(212		)	(189		)	(165		)	(50		)	(42		)	(39		)	(5		)	(5		)	(8		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss (gain)	—			—			—			1			3			2			—			—			(1		)
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—			—			—			(1		)	(85		)	(89		)	(15		)
Curtailments	—			—			(117		)	—			(27		)	—			(2		)	(37		)	—
Settlements	2			—			(2		)	3			—			1			—			—			—
Total non-service (benefit) cost	(105		)	(84		)	(181		)	(19		)	(39		)	(7		)	(89		)	(127		)	(7		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(48	)	$	(21	)	$	(106	)	$	(7	)	$	(22	)	$	11		$	(88	)	$	(125	)	$	3
Changes in plan assets and benefit obligations recognized in other comprehensive income
Net actuarial loss (gain)	$	214		$	(21	)	$	(326	)	$	34		$	(57	)	$	49		$	(11	)	$	(3	)	$	17
Prior service cost (benefit)	—			—			—			3			—			(8		)	—			(23		)	(395		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	—			—			—			(1		)	(3		)	—			(1		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	—			—			—			—			—			—			85			89			—
Curtailments	—			—			117			—			(6		)	—			3			39			—
Settlements	(2		)	1			2			(3		)	—			(1		)	—			—			—
Total decrease (increase) in other comprehensive income	$	212		$	(20	)	$	(207	)	$	33		$	(66	)	$	40		$	76		$	102		$	(378	)

The service and non-service cost components of net periodic (benefit) cost reflected in the Consolidated statements of operations were as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans									Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31	2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	2018			2017			2016			2018			2017			2016
Service Cost:
Losses and loss expenses	$	7		$	7		$	8		$	—		$	—		$	—
Administrative expenses	62			73			85			1			2			10
Total service cost	69			80			93			1			2			10
Non-Service Cost:
Losses and loss expenses	(10		)	(8		)	(18		)	(9		)	(13		)	—
Administrative expenses	(114		)	(115		)	(170		)	(80		)	(114		)	(7		)
Total non-service (benefit) cost	(124		)	(123		)	(188		)	(89		)	(127		)	(7		)
Net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(55	)	$	(43	)	$	(95	)	$	(88	)	$	(125	)	$	3

The weighted-average assumptions used to determine the net periodic pension and other postretirement benefit costs were as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans
	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
Year Ended December 31	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans		Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
2018
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	3.62	%	3.97	%	2.84	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	3.27	%	2.55	%	2.62	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.46	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	4.32	%	2.59	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%
2017
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	4.20	%	3.55	%	2.84	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	3.53	%	2.61	%	2.44	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.57	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	4.23	%	3.00	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%
2016
Discount rate in effect for determining service cost	4.38	%	3.85	%	4.32	%
Discount rate in effect for determining interest cost	3.59	%	3.44	%	4.02	%
Rate of compensation increase	4.00	%	3.33	%	N/A
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.00	%	4.79	%	6.34	%
Interest crediting rate	4.10	%

The weighted-average healthcare cost trend rate assumptions used to measure the expected cost of healthcare benefits were as follows:



	U.S. Plans						Non-U.S. Plans
	2018		2017		2016		2018		2017		2016
Healthcare cost trend rate	6.68	%	7.01	%	7.28	%	6.29	%	6.61	%	6.61	%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.50	%	4.50	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2038		2038		2038		2029		2029		2029

Plan Assets

The long term objective of the pension plan is to provide sufficient funding to cover expected benefit obligations, while assuming a prudent level of portfolio risk. The assets of the pension plan are invested, either directly or through pooled funds, in a diversified portfolio of predominately equity securities and fixed maturities. We seek to obtain a rate of return that over time equals or exceeds the returns of the broad markets in which the plan assets are invested. The target allocation of plan assets is 55 percent to 65 percent invested in equity securities (including certain other investments measured using NAV), with the remainder primarily invested in fixed maturities. We rebalance our pension assets to the target allocation as market conditions permit. We determined the expected long term rate of return assumption for each asset class based on an analysis of the historical returns and the expectations for future returns. The expected long term rate of return for the portfolio is a weighted aggregation of the expected returns for each asset class.

In order to minimize risk, the Plan maintains a listing of permissible and prohibited investments. In addition, the Plan has certain concentration limits and investment quality requirements imposed on permissible investments options. Investment risk is measured and monitored on an ongoing basis.

The following tables present the fair values of the pension plan assets, by valuation hierarchy. For additional information on how we classify these assets within the valuation hierarchy, refer to Note 3 to the Consolidated financial statements.



December 31, 2018	Pension Benefit Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	10	$	74	$	—	$	84
U.S. Treasury and agency	433		82		—		515
Foreign and corporate bonds	—		641		—		641
Equity securities	1,050		—		—		1,050
Total U.S. Plan assets ⁽¹⁾	$	1,493	$	797	$	—	$	2,290
Non-U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	7	$	—	$	—	$	7
Foreign and corporate bonds	—		418		—		418
Equity securities	103		371		—		474
Total Non-U.S. Plan assets⁽¹⁾	$	110	$	789	$	—	$	899


⁽¹⁾	Excluded from the table above are $494 million and $109 million of other investments measured using NAV as a practical expedient related to the U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively.



December 31, 2017	Pension Benefit Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	9	$	52	$	—	$	61
U.S. Treasury and agency	446		79		—		525
Foreign and corporate bonds	—		692		—		692
Equity securities	1,154		—		—		1,154
Total U.S. Plan assets ⁽¹⁾	$	1,609	$	823	$	—	$	2,432
Non-U.S. Plans:
Short-term investments	$	5	$	—	$	—	$	5
Foreign and corporate bonds	—		456		—		456
Equity securities	122		492		—		614
Total Non-U.S. Plan assets ⁽¹⁾	$	127	$	948	$	—	$	1,075


⁽¹⁾	Excluded from the table above are $677 million and $95 million of other investments measured using NAV as a practical expedient related to the U.S. Plans and Non-U.S. Plans, respectively.

We had other postretirement benefit plan assets of $143 million and $157 million at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, all of which are held in equity securities and categorized as Level 1.

Benefit payments were $209 million and $200 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Expected future payments are as follows:



	Pension Benefit Plans				Other Postretirement Benefit Plans
For the years ending December 31	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	U.S. Plans		Non-U.S. Plans
2019	$	140	$	26	$	18
2020	148		28		19
2021	155		27		21
2022	162		26		22
2023	168		28		18
2024-2028	909		155		19

Defined contribution plans (including 401(k))

Under these plans, employees' contributions may be supplemented by Chubb matching contributions based on the level of employee contribution. These contributions are invested at the election of each employee in one or more of several investment portfolios offered by a third-party investment advisor. Expenses for these plans totaled $171 million, $166 million, and $150 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.